September 30, 2015: California State University (CSU)

posted Sep 30, 2015, 12:16 PM by Kristin Hannon

College Readiness NewsletterSeptember 30, 2015

Weekly College Update

Dear Senior Snow Leopards, Huskies, Thunderbirds, and Bulldogs,

We’ve reached the end of September and the college admissions season is about to truly begin. Tomorrow, October 1st, the CSU application opens for submissions! Over the next two months, most of you will complete and submit applications to California public universities in the CSU and/or UC system. To celebrate this milestone, we’re having our next college logo-wear raffle-- read to the end of this week’s newsletter to find out how to enter the drawing!

This week’s focus is the California State University system.

There are many reasons to consider applying to CSUs. With relatively low tuition and fees for California students, the CSUs can be a more affordable option than UCs or private schools. The CSU system is also the largest and most diverse public university system in the country with 23 campuses all over the state of California. Since the student bodies tend to be very large, there are literally hundreds of different student clubs and organizations at each of the campuses-- something for every passion and interest!

If you have CSU schools on your college list, here are some things you should consider:

Identify whether the CSUs on your list are target, reach, or safety schools for you

Learn about campus and major impactions and how they might affect admissions and graduation rates

“Impaction” means that a campus or program receives more applications from qualified students than they have spaces available. The CSUs that are impacted at the campus or major level are more selective for admissions, and it will be more challenging to get the classes you need to graduate on time.

Attend CSU Preview Days

CSU Preview Days are open house events on their campuses where you can tour the school and learn all about their programs, financial aid, and more. Some schools, like CSU Stanislaus, even have early admission on the spot at these events!

Know important dates and deadlines

The CSU application opens for submission tomorrow, October 1st. The deadline to submit your application is November 30th. Be sure to review your application with your mentor BEFORE you submit it!

Are you a first generation college student? Does your family’s income meet these guidelines? If the answer to both questions is yes, you should apply to CSU’s EOP program for assistance with admissions, academics, and financial aid. Talk to your mentor for more information.

Finally and most important, keep your mentor informed about your college application process and whether it includes CSUs!

Susan Steelman Bragato ScholarshipWho can apply: High school seniors graduating from a California Charter Schools Association member school (like Summit!) and demonstrating financial need.Amount of the award: $2,000Information/Application: http://charterconference.org/2016/awards/ssbscholarship.phpDeadline: October 9, 2015

Jack Kent Cook ScholarshipWho can apply: Low-income and high-achieving high school studentsAmount of the award: up to $40,000 per yearInformation/Application: https://application.jkcf.org/login/Deadline: November 3, 2015

Prudential Spirit of Community AwardWho can apply: High school students involved in volunteer workAmount of the award: $1,000Information/Application: Prudential Spirit of CommunityDeadline: November 3, 2015

CAP Bay Area ScholarshipWho can apply: Low-income high school seniors in the Bay AreaAmount of the award: $5,000 per year + 1:1 college coachingInformation/Application: CAP Bay AreaDeadline: December, 2015

Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship FundWho can apply: Asian American and Pacific Islander high school seniorsAmount of the award: variesInformation/Application: https://secure.apiasf.org/Deadline: January 8, 2016

Gates Millennium ScholarsWho can apply: African American, American Indian, Asian Pacific Islander American, Hispanic American high school seniors with minimum 3.3 GPAAmount of the award: full cost of college education! Information/Application: Gates Millennium Scholars ProgramDeadline: January 13, 2016

CSU Stanislaus Preview and Early Admissions Day

Wouldn't it feel great to get a college acceptance this early in the year? Last year the first Summit students in the class of 2015 to receive college acceptances attended the CSU Stanislaus Preview Day. If you are CSU eligible and you apply online to Stanislaus between October 1 and October 10, you can receive an on-the-spot offer of admission at their Preview Day on October 17th!

College Newsletter "Quiz" to Enter Drawing

It's time for our next newsletter "quiz." Answer these 3 simple questionscorrectly, and you will be entered into a drawing to win college logo-wear, such as a t-shirt from the college of your choice.